I’m really curious to understand what Moment change in the construction to make a shorter, slightly softer ski that’s actually heavier! Still pretty close but I’d expect the difference to be towards lighter not heavier.
This isn’t a complete answer, Marcel, but width is a factor, too. The tips/shovels of the new Belafonte are wider.
I wish you would go into more detail addressing how much easier (to the extent it is easier) it is to ski the new version. For those of us who don’t straightline chop at 40mph, and instead make a larger number of shorter turns at moderate speeds, or in trees, how much a difference is there in turn initiation, making shorter carved turns. By way of (unfair) comparison, I ski the PB&J and I can just about meet myself coming around a corner on that ski. Is the new Belafonte significantly better at making short, round turns or is it still basically for a bomb down the fall line skier?
Hi, Michael – I feel like I’d been pretty clear about this in the review, but No, the new Belafonte isn’t significantly different than the old Belafonte in this regard. The new Belafonte is still closer to the old Belafonte than it is to say, the PB&J. It still belongs in the class of directional chargers—skis, that are designed to excel at going fast—though I think it’s one of the more accessible skis in a rather demanding / burly category.
Given that, I don’t think it’s the best tool if you’re primarily looking to make shorter turns at moderate speeds. I would quickly recommend the PB&J or Deathwish for that job (both are softer-flexing skis with more sidecut), or the Line Supernatural 100. None of those skis are noodles, but they don’t have the Belafonte’s top end, and are better than the Belafonte at what you’re describing.
Thanks much. As an aside, are you reviewing the new Underworld and is that ski the same sort of performer as the DW and the PB&J ?
We aren’t currently reviewing the Underworld, but I am increasingly intrigued by that ski. The 187 length has a stated sidecut radius of 27meters, and comes in, I believe, around 2000 grams per ski. Moment lists it as having the same relative flex as the Deathwish (7 out of 10), while they give the PB&J an “8” and the Belafonte a “9”. Those are obviously very rough ratings, but in short, it seems not too far off to view the Underworld as a skinnier Deathwish with a lighter core.
can’t wait for a comparison to the new cochise.. now that i have park skis (ninthward 2011/12 HHP 172’s, too good of a price, 250$ with mounted bindings, to say no to for “new” skis and haven’t even got to try em yet), my sites are on a mid-fat directional charger and i’m a light guy, so both of these being “more accessible” is interesting to me. Can’t wait to hear will’s opinion, as i am usually quite in line with him.. why i’m still rocking 185 scimitars as my one ski quiver (midwesterner, people look at me like i’m on crazy fat and long skis out here, took one of my friends out west this year for her first time, she realized why i think they’re “barely fat” with the 3″+ of fresh we got every day). After peaking at 51-52mph high 40s sustained (which is in part due to my weight) on the scimitars it really felt like i needed a charger, especially when it got choppy. My speeds dropped about 10mph and was catching tips here and there, i just wonder how well i’ll be able to handle hunting for powder in the trees on something that isn’t gonna handle lower speeds well, which is why part of me just wants a fatter, stiffer, full rocker ski. I got plenty of time to think about it though.
Hi Jonathan,
Would you say that the 186 Belafonte is easier to ski and more forgiving than the 187 Dynastar XXL?
Also, have you had a chance to compare the Belafonte to the 185 Blizzard Cochise yet?
Hi, Doug – as I say in the 3rd paragraph, the previous Belafonte is MUCH easier to ski than the XXLs.
And the new Belafonte is a touch more forgiving than the previous Belafonte. So yes.
I’ll likely wait to make very specific comparisons between the new Belafonte and the new Cochise till I can A/B them both. But as a rough generalization, the two skis are very much in the same class, and I’d say quite close in terms of ease / forgiveness.
How would you describe the Belafonte’s damp/liveliness? I was told by a friend who owns the 185 Cochise and loves them but disliked the Bibby Pro because it wasn’t very damp and transmitted too much energy.
i’ve got a pair of the narrow 182 garbones that are likely to die this season. I wonder if you think the 187 belafonte is man enough to take the place of the 31m radius garbone?
I’ve notice that the Belafonte has the same ski profile as Moment’s Tahoe. I was just wondering if anyone at Blister has had a chance to ride this ski and has any input on it?
So when can we expect the underworld review? I just demoed them at Sugar Bowl and loved them. The most playful yet stable ski I’ve ever been on. Ever. Spring conditions: corn, light crust in the morning. Slush in the afternoon. Turning crusty again as the shadows came down in the afternoon.
I am looking to add a fourth ski to my closet and thinking of the Peacemaker, Moment Belafonte, or Line Super Natural 108, or even the new 2016 Bacon. I currently have the 189 Scott Punisher a ski I love but it is sometimes a bit much in the bumps. I have a pair of 186 Moment Tahoe that I am not sure how much I love them at this point even after several days on them. I also have a pair of Megawatts that I enjoy on deep days. I am looking for ski that will be easier to ski in tight places and the bumps and thinking the Blizzard Peacemaker might fit the bill. At 6’4″ and 230 pounds and a excellent skier will I over whelm the Peacemaker? Need help with finding a ski for 1 to 6 inches of powder and chop without getting bucked around and one I can ski the bumps. Something in the 102 to 106 range with shovels that are not to big.
Thanks!!!!
I’m looking at getting either the Belafonte (178) or The Metal(180) from J Ski. They seem very similar in shape, dampness, etc.. Jason Levinthal(formerly of Line) has seemed to nail it with The Metal. I was wondering if you guys have tested these out or have heard anything good/bad about them. Any info you have would be great. I put a lot of stock in your reviews. Thanks.
-Matt W-
Oh man, where to start. Basically, I’ll cut to the chase, the Moment Belafonte is the ski I think I’ve been hunting for over the last 4 years. Basically, I’m ready to propose after only 1 date. Jonathan and the guys here at Blister have done a great job of describing what this ski is, what it does well, and you probably know if it’s right for you or not. I was admittedly a bit nervous about pulling the trigger on these given that I think Jonathan said something like, “The Belafonte allows you to ski like you’re angry at the mountain,” or something like that. So I picked up a used pair for a killer deal. Anyway, having come off of some skis like the Norwalk and first gen Cochise I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. I’m not big, I am 160 lbs. but I know how to drive a ski and as I get older I find myself being more of a directional skier getting thrills from going fast w/ good technique and hunting for technical lines vs. skiing backwards and tricking off of every feature on the mountain.Hence the hunt for a directional charger. Here’s my $.02 on the OG Cochise and Norwalk, skis I have the most time on that sort of fit in this category of directional big mountain skis.
The Cochise – Again, just read the Blister reviews, I agree with what they say, but I found them to be awesome in chopped soft day’s old snow, I hated them on groomers, the flip-core/lack of camber under foot and early rise in the tail made them boring to ski on groomed runs. They weren’t sketchy or unpredictable, but just not inspiring or fun. The Belafonte rips groomers, and this opinion comes after skiing only 1 day on these and remember I said there were used? The edges are a far cry from factory fresh and tuned. I’ll be investing in tuned edges here shortly.
I skied the Belafonte on soft windblown w/ variable sun crust and felt utter confidence, these just plowed and did what I told them to. I expected to feel the tails getting hung up, but never did. Found some soft patches of snow and skiing the Belafonte in 3″ of soft days old mildly tracked pow was easy and fun. Then over to steep former Olympic DH track to do some wide open full throttle chopped days old pow turning to bumps that bordered perfect corduroy depleted groomers. Basically start the run with the chopped up old snow and build speed, right about when you start hitting speeds that challenge balance in bumpy terrain (50mph), you can exit onto the predictable groomed run and compose yourself and carry on accelerating into the 60 mph zone. The Belafontes were unbelievably good at destroying crud at high speed. No nasty tails lashing out in anger if your balance got off, but predictable charging.
Anyway, I can’t wait to put more days on these. If you’re afraid of these skis, I wouldn’t be assuming you know how to carve a turn and drive a ski. I’ve found these way easier to ski than some of the softer flexing, lighter skis out there. Nice job Moment and thanks for the reviews that led me to this ski Jonathan and Blister Crew!
I’m really curious to understand what Moment change in the construction to make a shorter, slightly softer ski that’s actually heavier! Still pretty close but I’d expect the difference to be towards lighter not heavier.
This isn’t a complete answer, Marcel, but width is a factor, too. The tips/shovels of the new Belafonte are wider.
I wish you would go into more detail addressing how much easier (to the extent it is easier) it is to ski the new version. For those of us who don’t straightline chop at 40mph, and instead make a larger number of shorter turns at moderate speeds, or in trees, how much a difference is there in turn initiation, making shorter carved turns. By way of (unfair) comparison, I ski the PB&J and I can just about meet myself coming around a corner on that ski. Is the new Belafonte significantly better at making short, round turns or is it still basically for a bomb down the fall line skier?
Hi, Michael – I feel like I’d been pretty clear about this in the review, but No, the new Belafonte isn’t significantly different than the old Belafonte in this regard. The new Belafonte is still closer to the old Belafonte than it is to say, the PB&J. It still belongs in the class of directional chargers—skis, that are designed to excel at going fast—though I think it’s one of the more accessible skis in a rather demanding / burly category.
Given that, I don’t think it’s the best tool if you’re primarily looking to make shorter turns at moderate speeds. I would quickly recommend the PB&J or Deathwish for that job (both are softer-flexing skis with more sidecut), or the Line Supernatural 100. None of those skis are noodles, but they don’t have the Belafonte’s top end, and are better than the Belafonte at what you’re describing.
Thanks much. As an aside, are you reviewing the new Underworld and is that ski the same sort of performer as the DW and the PB&J ?
We aren’t currently reviewing the Underworld, but I am increasingly intrigued by that ski. The 187 length has a stated sidecut radius of 27meters, and comes in, I believe, around 2000 grams per ski. Moment lists it as having the same relative flex as the Deathwish (7 out of 10), while they give the PB&J an “8” and the Belafonte a “9”. Those are obviously very rough ratings, but in short, it seems not too far off to view the Underworld as a skinnier Deathwish with a lighter core.
can’t wait for a comparison to the new cochise.. now that i have park skis (ninthward 2011/12 HHP 172’s, too good of a price, 250$ with mounted bindings, to say no to for “new” skis and haven’t even got to try em yet), my sites are on a mid-fat directional charger and i’m a light guy, so both of these being “more accessible” is interesting to me. Can’t wait to hear will’s opinion, as i am usually quite in line with him.. why i’m still rocking 185 scimitars as my one ski quiver (midwesterner, people look at me like i’m on crazy fat and long skis out here, took one of my friends out west this year for her first time, she realized why i think they’re “barely fat” with the 3″+ of fresh we got every day). After peaking at 51-52mph high 40s sustained (which is in part due to my weight) on the scimitars it really felt like i needed a charger, especially when it got choppy. My speeds dropped about 10mph and was catching tips here and there, i just wonder how well i’ll be able to handle hunting for powder in the trees on something that isn’t gonna handle lower speeds well, which is why part of me just wants a fatter, stiffer, full rocker ski. I got plenty of time to think about it though.
Hi Jonathan,
Would you say that the 186 Belafonte is easier to ski and more forgiving than the 187 Dynastar XXL?
Also, have you had a chance to compare the Belafonte to the 185 Blizzard Cochise yet?
Hi, Doug – as I say in the 3rd paragraph, the previous Belafonte is MUCH easier to ski than the XXLs.
And the new Belafonte is a touch more forgiving than the previous Belafonte. So yes.
I’ll likely wait to make very specific comparisons between the new Belafonte and the new Cochise till I can A/B them both. But as a rough generalization, the two skis are very much in the same class, and I’d say quite close in terms of ease / forgiveness.
How would you describe the Belafonte’s damp/liveliness? I was told by a friend who owns the 185 Cochise and loves them but disliked the Bibby Pro because it wasn’t very damp and transmitted too much energy.
i’ve got a pair of the narrow 182 garbones that are likely to die this season. I wonder if you think the 187 belafonte is man enough to take the place of the 31m radius garbone?
I’ve notice that the Belafonte has the same ski profile as Moment’s Tahoe. I was just wondering if anyone at Blister has had a chance to ride this ski and has any input on it?
So when can we expect the underworld review? I just demoed them at Sugar Bowl and loved them. The most playful yet stable ski I’ve ever been on. Ever. Spring conditions: corn, light crust in the morning. Slush in the afternoon. Turning crusty again as the shadows came down in the afternoon.
I am looking to add a fourth ski to my closet and thinking of the Peacemaker, Moment Belafonte, or Line Super Natural 108, or even the new 2016 Bacon. I currently have the 189 Scott Punisher a ski I love but it is sometimes a bit much in the bumps. I have a pair of 186 Moment Tahoe that I am not sure how much I love them at this point even after several days on them. I also have a pair of Megawatts that I enjoy on deep days. I am looking for ski that will be easier to ski in tight places and the bumps and thinking the Blizzard Peacemaker might fit the bill. At 6’4″ and 230 pounds and a excellent skier will I over whelm the Peacemaker? Need help with finding a ski for 1 to 6 inches of powder and chop without getting bucked around and one I can ski the bumps. Something in the 102 to 106 range with shovels that are not to big.
Thanks!!!!
I’m looking at getting either the Belafonte (178) or The Metal(180) from J Ski. They seem very similar in shape, dampness, etc.. Jason Levinthal(formerly of Line) has seemed to nail it with The Metal. I was wondering if you guys have tested these out or have heard anything good/bad about them. Any info you have would be great. I put a lot of stock in your reviews. Thanks.
-Matt W-
Oh man, where to start. Basically, I’ll cut to the chase, the Moment Belafonte is the ski I think I’ve been hunting for over the last 4 years. Basically, I’m ready to propose after only 1 date. Jonathan and the guys here at Blister have done a great job of describing what this ski is, what it does well, and you probably know if it’s right for you or not. I was admittedly a bit nervous about pulling the trigger on these given that I think Jonathan said something like, “The Belafonte allows you to ski like you’re angry at the mountain,” or something like that. So I picked up a used pair for a killer deal. Anyway, having come off of some skis like the Norwalk and first gen Cochise I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. I’m not big, I am 160 lbs. but I know how to drive a ski and as I get older I find myself being more of a directional skier getting thrills from going fast w/ good technique and hunting for technical lines vs. skiing backwards and tricking off of every feature on the mountain.Hence the hunt for a directional charger. Here’s my $.02 on the OG Cochise and Norwalk, skis I have the most time on that sort of fit in this category of directional big mountain skis.
The Cochise – Again, just read the Blister reviews, I agree with what they say, but I found them to be awesome in chopped soft day’s old snow, I hated them on groomers, the flip-core/lack of camber under foot and early rise in the tail made them boring to ski on groomed runs. They weren’t sketchy or unpredictable, but just not inspiring or fun. The Belafonte rips groomers, and this opinion comes after skiing only 1 day on these and remember I said there were used? The edges are a far cry from factory fresh and tuned. I’ll be investing in tuned edges here shortly.
I skied the Belafonte on soft windblown w/ variable sun crust and felt utter confidence, these just plowed and did what I told them to. I expected to feel the tails getting hung up, but never did. Found some soft patches of snow and skiing the Belafonte in 3″ of soft days old mildly tracked pow was easy and fun. Then over to steep former Olympic DH track to do some wide open full throttle chopped days old pow turning to bumps that bordered perfect corduroy depleted groomers. Basically start the run with the chopped up old snow and build speed, right about when you start hitting speeds that challenge balance in bumpy terrain (50mph), you can exit onto the predictable groomed run and compose yourself and carry on accelerating into the 60 mph zone. The Belafontes were unbelievably good at destroying crud at high speed. No nasty tails lashing out in anger if your balance got off, but predictable charging.
Anyway, I can’t wait to put more days on these. If you’re afraid of these skis, I wouldn’t be assuming you know how to carve a turn and drive a ski. I’ve found these way easier to ski than some of the softer flexing, lighter skis out there. Nice job Moment and thanks for the reviews that led me to this ski Jonathan and Blister Crew!